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7 Total Eclipse Driving Tips

Driving while the total solar eclipse is happening on August 21? Here are seven tips that will ensure your safety while driving. (Published Monday, Aug. 21, 2017)

What to Know

NYC won't be in the "path of totality" but it'll still be quite a spectacle; the moon will start to cover the sun at 1:23 p.m. Aug. 21

At 2:44 p.m., it'll be at its maximum coverage (about 70 percent to 75 percent), and the partial eclipse will end at 4 p.m.

The only safe way to look directly at uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, so get your glasses now

If you're hoping to view the total solar eclipse coming up Monday, you're going to need a pair of specialty sunglasses affixed with a solar filter. But -- as we mentioned -- that eclipse is coming up Monday. That means you have just one day to score a pair if you haven't yet.

And they've been notoriously difficult to nab. Here are a few options in the city, but you should call first to make sure they're still in stock (and if you're not sure where to get the best view in the tri-state, here are a list of spots):

Check your local library branch. STAR_Net, a national science and technology resource for libraries, sent millions of eclipse glasses to libraries across the country, including some in New York. Branches in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, Pelham Bay, Bronx and Glendale, Flushing and the Rockaways in Queens are among the ones that got them, according to Curbed. You may have to attend one of their eclipse parties to get a pair, the website says, so call in advance to doublecheck.

Eyeglass company Warby Parker is giving out free solar eclipse glasses (limit of two per person), according to Brokelyn. The website says Warby Parker's Brooklyn location is already out of eyewear, but the company's SoHo, Meatpacking District and Upper East Side still has some (call ahead to be sure).

Eclipse Tourism: Are These Small Towns Ready?

Madras, Oregon, and hundreds of other small towns across America have suddenly become tourist destinations for next Monday's eclipse, whether they're ready for it or not.

(Published Monday, Aug. 14, 2017)

TRY A MUSEUM

The American Museum of Natural History will host a viewing party from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday. Solar eclipse glasses will be available for purchase.

Most would-be eclipse viewers will likely have more luck shopping online, assuming you can get them shipped ASAP. Amazon still has viewing glasses in stock, but most appear to be sold in packs of five or more for around $39.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has a guide to making your own pinhole camera for safely viewing the solar eclipse. All you'll need is two pieces of white card stock, aluminum foil, tape and a pin or paper clip.